Hand-held spraying apparatus have been used in the past to administer a dosage of a liquid, such as a nasal decongestant, from an associated container. One type of such spraying apparatus employs a manually operable pump which is associated with a screw cap attached to an open end of the container. The pump includes a stem adapted for movement relative to the screw cap in a reciprocating fashion. An actuator sits on the stem such that they can move conjointly in a reciprocating fashion relative to the screw cap. Upon the manual depression of the actuator, the stem is depressed to thereby withdraw a dosage of liquid from the container and deliver the dosage of liquid to a spray nozzle formed integrally with the actuator. The liquid is discharged from the nozzle in the form of a spray or mist.
The prior art spraying apparatus described above suffer from various problems. One problem is that the actuator may rock from side to side as it is being depressed in order to initiate a spraying operation, such rocking movement of the actuator oftentimes resulting in an improper dosage of liquid. Another problem involves the possibility of the actuator being inadvertently ejected from the stem of the pump when the stem returns to its extended position after being depressed. The accidental initiation of a spraying operation is a further problem of the prior art apparatus.